Melting Ice Castles
by Dreadl0cked
Summary: AU Therapist!Elsa treats an abused Anna who'd been kidnapped 8 years ago. But as Elsa begins to see Anna, Anna melts down Elsa's walls and something more may appear. ELSANNA! and trigger warning! Cover pic by chzlchzl
1. Chapter 1

**TRIGGER WARNING! Talk of abuse.**

**This is my first Frozen fanfic so i hope you guys dig it. Elsanna lives!**

**I DO NOT OWN FROZEN**

Elsa

I remember that it hurt. Looking at her hurt. Her ginger hair fell in a loose braid down her back. As a therapist, I've heard some stories that would tear your heart out. But this one killed me. We're never supposed to get attached to patients but Anna was not just a patient. She was a spirit and soul. She was more than an hour of my time and a check.

When you first see her, you would think she's just a child. Her face in sunken in and her ribs show from the malnutrition. She's a tiny thing but she's 18. Not a kid anymore. Bruises ride the coast of her arms and, from what she's told me, cover her back as well. But she never stopped smiling.

It was January 13th, 2006 when she was kidnapped. She was only 10. Her loving parents did all they could to find her. They had organizations created to search. There were telethons and news reports. Late 2013, they had started to give up hope. It'd had been almost 8 years. Then there was a break in the case. A drug dealer and well known pimp were arrested in Arizona. They were found with 600 pounds of cocaine and 2 girls who had also been kidnapped in the same area as Anna in 2006. The girls gave up all of the information about the sex trafficking in Hermosillo, Mexico. The men were a part of the most secretive sex slave trades in there. They found their central station and discovered more than 1,000 girls who'd been taken from their homes as sold as prostitutes. Anna was one of them.

The first time we met, she'd only been home for about 2 weeks but the hospital insisted she see a counselor. The Arendelle Center is a place for children who have been abused or neglected. After reading over her chart I was convinced she'd need to stay but after our meeting I decided outpatient would work just fine. There was no need for me to keep her away from her home any longer.

Her left eye was almost sealed shut with a thick black and yellow bruise. Her lips were busted and her arms carried scars. It's our job to document all injuries so I tried to make her as comfortable as possible showing us. This sort of thing is not easy after what she'd been through.

She wasn't even scared. Anna smiled wide at me and said, "Its fine with me. I just hope they don't gross you out." I chuckled softly and replied, "I might be new here but I've still seen enough to know I can handle it."

When Anna lifted up her shirt we saw horrendous lashes. There were whip marks all down her back. There was what looked like initials carved into her abdomen. She pulled down her pants and showed us where they branded her. "They only hurt for a second. Then if you close your eyes it's just like sitting in the snow for too long." Anna said as she pulled her pants back up.

She was never bitter or closed off during our talks. In fact, most of the time it was like none of those things ever happened. But they did, and I needed her to tell me about it.

"What types of things would they do to you?"

"Whatever they wanted." Anna smiled at me and lied down on the couch. She was a fidgety girl though and quickly stood to pace the room, "If they wanted sex, they took it. If they wanted money, they sold me. If they wanted to see someone scream… well, that's what the whip was for."

"The whip?"

"Yea. It was like in the bible. The cat of nine tails or something, right?" I nod, "Yea well sometimes they'd get really drunk and want to make us girls scream. The rest were easy. They'd just grab em' or slap em' a bit and they'd shriek. I never screamed and they hated that." Anna sat down again and rested her head on her hand. She smiled at me, "You're really pretty."

"That's very sweet of you Anna, but I believe we were talking about something. Now tell me, why wouldn't you scream? I assume you were afraid of them, weren't you?" I took off my glasses to look at her on a personal level. She was quiet for a moment, like she was composing her thoughts.

"They took away my childhood. They stripped me of my adolescence. I didn't get that magical memory of losing my virginity either. So I decided that they could have all of that, but they'd never take my scream. If I'd given it up I would've died. They thought I wasn't afraid so I was crowned, if you will, The Queen of the Sluts! I got to handle who was sold to who and when. I got a lot of girls home that way."

"You got them home? How?" I said, intrigued beyond belief. She smiled, clearly loving my interest. "I was like the Harriet Tubman of the 21st century. There were these men that started a group called the Adam's Army. I guess Adam's kid had been taken back in the 90's or something but anyway, these guys would pretend to be customers and buy the girls. Then they'd take them back. It was dangerous though. A lot of them were found and killed. The girls brought back were tortured."

I quickly scribbled her words down in my notes. The pen and paper had captivated me so much I hadn't noticed that she was now sitting on the arm of my chair. "Did I mention how pretty you are Doc?"

"I believe you have Anna. You're very pretty yourself but I'm not your doctor. I'm Elsa, I'm here to help."

"How long have you been working here?" She asked moving closer.

"This is my second year as an actual therapist but my first here at the Arendelle Center. Now why don't you take a seat and continue." I replied, pointing towards the couch ahead of me.

"I like it here just fine." She grabbed the end of her braid and twirled it. Anna then looked at me with her wide blue eyes. She really was a gorgeous girl despite the bruises. I wonder if she knew that.

"Anna, how do you feel about yourself?" I asked. Her eyes quickly darted to the floor then to the clock, "I think my session is over though Doc."

"It's Elsa and yes, it seems you're right."

"I tend to be." She says as she stands and does a little twirl. Our eyes met for a second and I felt myself blush. I don't know why exactly. But it happened.

"Thursday. 4 o' clock." I remind her.

"Yep. See you Thursday." She winks and then dances out of the room. I walk to close the door but then suddenly she's back. "Thanks for listening." She says, and kisses me softly on the cheek. Before I can say anything she floats back to her mother's side who waves politely.

I try to hide my surprise as I close the door and sit at my desk. I had a strange feeling in my gut. One that Anna had put there. At the time I didn't think much of it. That was the first mistake.


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh my god guys It's been awhile. I'm sorry! These past few months have been insane. But it felt so good to just write! I hope you guys like it. Please leave reviews. TRIGGER WARNING: Rape and Abuse**

**I DO NOT OWN FROZEN**

Elsa

"You have such an amazing smile, ya know that? You're teeth are so white!" Anna was sitting on the couch with her head resting in her palms, hands on her knees. She was staring up at me with a look that could make anyone's insides melt. But of course, not her therapists. That'd be unethical. It'd be wrong.

"Thank you Anna, you're compliments are much appreciated but I believe we were talking about something." She sighs and lies back on the couch. She plays with a stray hair and says, "You asked me if I liked myself. And I didn't answer. I couldn't answer."

"Why not?" I ask her as I jot down some thoughts.

"Do you mind not writing for a second? I don't want you to be my therapist right now. Can we pretend we've been friends for years? Maybe we're meeting up to get hot chocolate!" Her smile widens as she sits back up, "Maybe we used to talk all the time but we got busy. And- And we're friends. And I'm not alone. This is just a conversation." Her smile dims a bit as she looks to me. I nod, "Okay Anna, We're just friends. And this is just a conversation." I place my pen and pad down on the table beside me.

Anna jumps up and races out the door. I'm confused for a moment and wonder if I should follow her but she reappears a second later.

"Oh hey Elsa! It has been too long.", She pulls me up from my chair and hugs me tightly. She's warm and smells like vanilla. I hug her back for a moment before she pulls away.

"I've been so busy with the dogs lately. My pet shop is doing very well. And what about you?" She looks genuinely interested in this improvised conversation so I try to play along.

"Well, I have, uh, been working on my second novel!" I reply. She beams, "That is wonderful! I'm so proud of you. I'll buy the very first copy." We laugh and she brushes the same stray hair back behind her ear, "Though, things have been a little rough."

I perk up a bit. The mood seems to have changed. "I mean one minute you're a little girl, and the next you're not. And it's hard to believe what people say when they call you beautiful. Or smart." She furrows her brow a bit before continuing, "I was a little girl. I was- I was just a little innocent child. Then suddenly, I was a dirty slut." She spit those last words out of her mouth like they tasted bitter. She laughed coldly, "I never even went through a boy crazy stage. Because the only boys I knew were fucking crazy."

The foul language seemed strange coming from her mouth. Not because she was delicate or anything, but because it sort of emphasized the loss of innocence.

"I mean, even if I did love someone, what would be the point? I'm all used up. God, I'm just lucky I don't have any diseases. And how would anyone be able to touch my scarred body? How could anyone think I'm beautiful?"

She isn't crying but her eyes are red. She's staring out the window motionless. I'm a professional and even I didn't know how to mend the wounds they had caused her.

"Anna?" No response, "Anna, look at me." She slowly turns her head towards me. The swelling from her bruises has gone down and her freckles dance across her nose.

"You aren't used up. And you are beautiful. Anyone in the world would be lucky to have you. The scars just show how strong you are; after everything that has happened you can still smile and laugh. That is amazing, ya know that? You're not broken. You're not lost. Anna, you are right here with me and you are not alone. I can't erase the trauma they've caused but I can help you live the rest of your life in peace. Okay?" I move towards her and cup her face in my hands, "I think you're the most beautiful girl in the universe. Stars don't just shine, they burn. The pain just shows how amazing you truly are." I wipe away a single tear and she gives me a weak smile.

Anna stands. Our session is over. Before she goes she grabs hold of my hand and traces over my fingers. Then she lifts them to her lips and kisses them softly. My body feels warm and I smile at her before she wipes her eyes again and heads out the door, "Same time next week Doc!"

And as the door closes, I ache for the week to pass quickly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey Here's another update! This one is a bit longer which I hope you all like. I wanted to give you some of Anna's story as well. So enjoy**

**TRIGGER WARNING**

**I DO NOT OWN FROZEN  
**

Anna

Being home, or rather "home" was strange. I mean, this place hadn't been my home in a decade. I wanted it to be. I wanted to come back through these doors for so long that maybe it was like when you say a word over and over again to the point that it loses its meaning. I dreamt of it too many times for me to even remember what it felt like. What having a place you belonged in felt like. Coming back wasn't really coming home. It was just…coming back.

"Anna?" I roll over on my bed and see Kristoff standing in my doorway, "Your mom let me up." He was wearing jeans and a Led Zeppelin t-shirt. His blond hair was covered by a beanie. Kristoff could be home, I guess. He'd been my neighbor for as long as I can remember and my best friend as well. He had a giant husky named Sven that thought he was a lap dog. We used to play in the fort behind my house; I'd be the princess while Kristoff and Sven were my sworn protectors. My parents tore the fort down a few years after I'd disappeared.

He moves to sit on the bed with me but leaves me space. He's always been considerate of my feelings. When we first saw each other again he was afraid to hug me because he read that it might cause trauma. I don't want him to be like that. I don't want him to think being near me with trigger something awful. So I roll over and put his arm over my head as I put my head on his chest.

"Have you ever been in love?" I ask him. He laughs and rubs my arm, "I think I am."

"Really? Tell me about her! Or him…Which ever." He laughs again and shakes his head, "She's a girl. Her names Ellie, she has thick curly hair that she hates but loves too. She says mixed girl hair is a blessing and a curse. She's smart too. She's helping me with English. You know I was never big on reading. "

I think about the way he says will name. Ellie, like it was meant for his lips only.

"Why'd you ask?" I shrug and curl into him. He starts talking about basketball while I listen to his heartbeat.

_ "I want to die, Anna. I can't do this anymore. I'm not even a person, I'm a fucking ragdoll." She sobs into the redhead's chest. Her light blonde hair falls down her back and Anna looks over the fresh whip marks. "Aurora please, I swear to god I'm going to get you out of this. We're going to be so happy." She fakes a smile as she lifts the broken girls chin up, "Please believe me little beasty." Aurora smiles weakly at the nickname but tears soon wash it away. _

_ Anna moves to get a wet rag but stops in front of the mirror. Aurora's words echo in her head. "I'm not even a person." Her reflection looks like a ghost and makes Anna's stomach drop. She looks away and walks back to her dearest's side. She lightly dabs the wounds to clean them and then wraps them up. "I promise." She says again before bringing the blonde girls lips to her own._

_ Her promise goes unfulfilled._

I look in the mirror and touch a small scar above my lip. The bruises have almost healed completely and my skin is getting pinker. I almost look human again. My mother calls my name and I quickly finish braiding my hair and pinning it to my head.

I wear long black skinny jeans and a white Rocky Horror Picture Show t-shirt. It's hot out but the scarring on my legs is too much for even me to look at most days. So I brace myself for the heat and head out to the car.

My mom wants to take me shopping. She didn't have much for me to wear when first got back but my cousin Rapunzel had lent me some things. "Are you hungry sweetheart? We can stop somewhere if you want."

"We're going to the mall, right?" She nods, "We can just get something at the food court. Ooh! Or maybe I could get a pretzel with cheese that sounds so good right now. "She laughs and pats my arm. She's smiling bright and warmly. I think she was worried about me coming home. Maybe she thought I'd be dark and twisty. But in reality maybe I'm a little worse than that.

Who can smile after they've had so much blood on their hands?

The mall is only 15 minutes away so we arrive just before 1. We head inside and look at the stores. I don't really know what my style is so the store names don't really clear things up. What the hell is a Hot Topic and why does it look like a cave?

We eventually find our way to Forever 21 which Punzie told me I might like. I look around and see a few things I like. There's this cute little sunflower crop top but I remember my scarred abdomen and shy away.

"Anna, look over there, isn't that your therapist?" I glance over at the sale rack and see platinum blonde hair loosely falling down across her shoulders. She isn't wearing her usual pencil skirt and button down but she still looks gorgeous in her high waisted shorts and grunge top. I didn't peg her as a punk rock type of girl but she pulled it off. "It is." I respond but my mom is already crossing over to talk to her.

" ! It's so nice to see you outside of that awful hospital. Oh I'm sorry dear, It's fine facility it just hurts as a mother to have your child go there." Elsa smiled but she looked like a deer in the headlights. For a second I thought she blushed.

"Hello, yes, I understand completely. It's a hard thing to go through both for the child and parent. And you really don't have to call me Dr. Snow. Elsa is fine." She glanced at me before looking back at my mother, "Doing some shopping I see. Have you found anything good?"

"Hardly, I'm not very good at this sort of thing." She paused, "Oh I just had a great idea! If it isn't a problem with you Elsa, would you mind helping Anna pick out some clothes?" Elsa smiled shyly and agreed, "I'd love to" She looked at me and I shot her a wink which brought back that beautiful blushing red face.

"I'm going to go shop at Loft sweetheart, call me when you're ready to go." My mom kissed my forehead, handed me $80, and headed off.

"I like seeing you outside of the hospital too. There's a lot more of you to see." I looked down at her long legs and smiled. She tried not to smirk and deadpanned, "There's even more in hiding." I saw a quick look of fear cross over her eyes as we both registered what she said. My smile grew larger.

"Why don't we just look around?" She replied, "Do you know what you're into?"

"Besides you?"

"Yes, definitely besides me."

"Then no, I'm a little hopeless when it comes to clothes. Even before I…left I was a bit of a tom boy." She looked me over with those sparling blue eyes, "I think I've got an idea." She walks over to the guy side and starts shifting through racks, "You strike me as a bit of hipster/grunge type girl yourself. " She pulled out a black shirt with 3 white skulls around the collar like a necklace, "What about this? Only 15 bucks." She said holding it up to my body.

"I dig it." I reply grabbing the hanger and draping it over my arm, "What else?"

We picked out a few more t-shirts, a couple button ups, a hoodie, and 2 new pairs of jeans. Altogether it was $54.25. Elsa is great at shopping sales. She's very soft spoken unlike me. My words fall out quickly, messily, and worst of all loudly. But I try to seem confident in everything I say. She's a lot more thoughtful. Every word is chosen carefully.

Being around her felt like the first snow fall of winter.

"I should probably give you back to your mom now, although I enjoyed having you all to myself today." She said staring down at her bags.

"I'm still yours for another 15 minutes at least. I'm craving a pretzel. Want one?" She nodded yes and I took her hand. I knew she'd pull away but I felt a small hesitation as our fingers slipped off each other's. I wonder if she felt that too. The spark.

"I'd like a large salted pretzel with cheese, please." I said, shooting fingers gun and a wink at the cashier. She was a taller girl with brown eyes. Her nametag said Belle, "Ooh! Like Beauty and the beast!" She looked confused before looking down at her nametag. She giggled and blushed slightly. Looking over at Elsa I saw a somewhat bitter look on her face. It disappeared when she caught my glaze and her eyes softened.

"And for you?" Belle asked Elsa.

"Non-salted pretzel bites with cheese as well." The girl nodded and Elsa reached for her wallet, "No, nope, No way. I'm paying." I said as I handed over my money. Elsa whispered a soft thank you and shyly took her pretzels.

We sat in a comfortable silence for a minute as we ate. Only talking when we felt it was necessary. Like when this Ambercrombie and Fitch model named _Gaston_ (tool) scratched his junk when he thought no one was looking before flexing his pecs at passing girls.

It felt good to be near someone who didn't think of me as a sad broken girl. She thought I was Anna. That's all. It felt…refreshing.

"Oh, my mom just texted me. I should probably head out." I said reluctantly. She sighed softly and nodded, "It was great. This, I mean, it was great." She looked me in the eyes and gave me a bright smile. I looked around and saw that it was fairly empty around, or atleast no one was focusing on us, so I leaned over and gave her a small peck on the cheek. Her face turned bright red almost instantly. "See ya. " I called before hopping up and power walking away from her.

I couldn't remember the last time I felt that feeling in my gut.

Or maybe…I could

_ She said she wasn't even a person anymore. She was dead inside. It must've been so easy for her then. To jump from 30 stories up into the concrete. Anna felt cold, almost numb. Maybe She was dead too. She promised to save Aurora, her love. She had failed._

_ She was rescued 3 days later._


End file.
